When compared to the absolute bedrock of the human heart, monuments carved out of granite or buildings enshrined in glass or steel seem weak and temporary.

I hope that this year I can make more of an impact on the hearts of people than in headlines or on headstones. Ultimately, I hope that I can lead and work and live and love in a way that makes its impression deeply in the hearts of others.

Last year was the best year for earning press mentions at Batch. And after each time we appear in print or in a new publication, I get an email from some company offering to emboss that article on a plaque or in a nice frame for us. I decline each offer.

It's easy to write your legacy on mahogany or in marble. It's far more difficult to write it on the heart of another.

That takes time. Patience. Understanding. Vulnerability, risk, presence, and compassion. No machine can provide this with its laser etching or pinpoint engraving.

That's how weak steel is - able to be marked in a flash with newfangled technology. The heart is much tougher, able to mend after a break or bounce back after a shattering. But also more suspect to those who'd like to make their mark.

If you could only write your story in one place this year, where do you hope it finds an audience?

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